East Islip tournament keeps boy’s love of lacrosse alive

Janine Koehler in front of a picture of her son Christian Koehler at Heckscher State Park in East Islip on Saturday, May 14, 2016. A lacrosse tournament in his memory raised funds for the Make-A-Wish and Children's Brain Tumor Project. Christian died of a brain tumor in 2009.
Photo Credit: James Carbone

The athletic young boy was struck with a headache in May 2008 and quickly became incoherent. Doctors told his parents that it was stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer. He died May 29, 2009, just over a year after his diagnosis. He was 10.

Shortly after his death, the family used their contacts in the local lacrosse community to hold the first tournament. Chris had played with and coached a number of East Islip teams and Christian’s siblings also are fans of the game their brother loved.

“We thought you know what let’s do something in memory of him,” Janine Koehler said as daughter Allison, 13, warmed up to play and son Anthony, 12, headed onto the field with his team.

Dawn O’Halloran, Christian’s aunt and one of the tournament organizers, said the tournament raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which provided Christian’s family with a trip to Turks and Caicos during his treatment, and the Children’s Brain Tumor Project, founded by the doctor at Weill Cornell Medical Center who treated Christian.

It was unclear how much this year’s tournament raised, but O’Halloran said with the increase in teams over last year, the family thought they surpassed last year’s total of more than $40,000.

That is enough to fully pay for another child’s wish, said Kellie Ryan, community relations manager for Make-A-Wish Suffolk County. A 9-year-old Bay Shore boy named Jose and his family will head to Disney World in August, all expenses paid by the Christian Koehler Foundation’s 2016 tournament.

Chris Koehler said he’s proud to return the favor for the organizations that helped him and his son.

“It’s an opportunity to promote his memory and that’s the sole backbone, the defining reason I do it,” he said. “There’s a platform and an opportunity to raise money for charities; we try to raise awareness.”